


The Galaxy Garrison

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Couple, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Romance, also on my Quotev, i cant spell that right, mmmhMMM, pre kerboros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 14:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16266206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The day you were accepted into the Galaxy Garrison was the day your life changed forever. Never did you expect to meet your best friends, your family, and the love of your life. You are put through difficult trials in the Garrison, all in preparation for your future as an elite fighter pilot, or so you thought.





	1. Acceptance Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PROLOGUE: CAN SKIP TO NEXT CHAPTER

 

“It’s here!” Your sibling called from the front door, their faces bright as they stumbled into the kitchen. Your heart pounded as your spoon slipped from your grasp, plunking into your cup of yogurt.

They waved a thick envelope in the air with a blinding smile. You bolted up from your seat and made a grab for it, but in an instant they lifted it up high. “Wait for mom to come home!”

“Please, just let me hold it! It’s my letter!” You cried, gripping their shoulder as you attempted to snatch it from their grasp. All week you’ve been jittery with anxiety once the Galaxy Garrison announced they were releasing acceptance letters. It was old-fashioned of course, but it stuck to tradition. You hoped at least that the letter’s width hinted towards your new beginning.

“Mom will kill us both if she finds out she missed her daughter being accepted-“ They dodged your prying hand and somehow managed to lift it higher, “-into the most prestigious flight academy in the entire freakin’ world, (y/n)!”

“We don’t know that yet!” You protested just then as a plan formulated in your head. You couldn’t help but grin. Seeing the look in your eyes, your sibling wearily backed away.

“(Y/n)-“

You poked your siblings side, then attacked both mercilessly. The results were instantaneous. They buckled with laughter as they tried to fight away your hands. They shook their head as you continued with the attack, evading their weaving hands.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just given me the letter!” You cackled. They shook they head and made a move towards your sides. You jumped back from their hands, releasing them. They took this as an opportunity to escape, the letter still clutched in their grip.

“Make sure you don’t mess it up!” You cried as you stumbled forward, nearly slipping on the floors. You sibling turned away, passing the front door while blowing a raspberry, only to be smacked face-first by it. You gasped as they careened back, one hand clapping over their nose. Your mom popped through the door, puzzled, “What in the world was that-“

“MOM!”

Your mom whirled, your eyes widening as she fumbled with the box in her hands, taking in the scene. She hastily closed the door and kneeled down, setting the grocery’s aside and took their face in her hands.

“I’m so sorry, honey!” She prodded their hands away and checked their face. “Does it hurt-“

“Mom, I’m fine!” Your sibling laughed and pulled away, grinning as they playfully swiped her hands away. They were always the one for dramatics and it was nothing unusual to find them in a situation like this. It was a running joke in the family that they were, in fact, indestructible.

“Well that was one heck of an entrance then. Hello, darling, I’m glad to see that you’re okay,” She reached forward and pecked their forehead. She then turned and reached her hands out, beckoning. “Hello, my little future space pilot!”

“Mom,” You complained, dragging out the vowels, as she grinned and rolled her eyes. Grinning you hugged your mom as she pecked your cheek. She wrapped her arms around both of your guys shoulders and squeezed, her laughter contagious. “You guys want to help your dear mother with these groceries for our celebratory feast?”

“But the letter-“

“No buts!” She grinned as she tousled your hair. “My motherly instincts tell me that my child has been accepted with the best marks, top of the class, they’re going to send her off to space-“

“For the better of humanity.” Your sibling finished, a teasing gleam in their eyes. You gasped with fake indignation and playfully shoved them.

“Don’t make me really break your nose-“

“Like you could-“

“Shush you two!” You mother said, her eyes suddenly gleaming with a prideful sort of sadness. She paused for a moment. “I’m going to miss you so much while you’re away, sweetie.”

“So am I, Mom.”

“What about me?” You glared at your sibling.

“You just said that they should send me into space for the good of humanity!”

“Well I obviously didn’t mean it!” Your mother laughed as she shook her head, swiping at her eyes, before pulling her children up. She held out her hand to your sibling, who handed her the letter you were so fixated with just a few minutes ago. How much your life will change in a few more minutes. You tried to quell the surge of anxiety that threatened to surface.

“Let’s take this to the living room, shall we ladies and gentlemen?”

Now that the three of you were sitting in the living room, the crisp and heavy letter finally in your hands, it felt all so surreal. If this letter contained the message you hoped it did and your mother insisted, your life would change for the better. You would be a fighter pilot, something you’ve been dreaming of since you were a child.

You would be living your childhood dream.

Taking in a deep breath, you quelled the slight shake in your hands as your fingertips prodded the golden seal, the Galaxy Garrison’s symbol gleaming brightly in the light. Your heart thrummed. Gently peeling it away, you heard your mother draw in a breath beside you, her hand tightening on your arm.

Breathe, (Y/n), Breathe.

Before you could lose the courage, you held your breath and slipped the letter out from its restraints, careful to not let the other papers slip out as well. This was it. No point in delaying the inevitable. Waiting won’t change whats inked on that paper. You could already feel your pulse in your fingertips.

Closing your eyes, you flipped the paper over.

Open it, Open it, Open it! Your brain cried as your heart refused. No, no, no!

“Honey are you okay?” Nodding you opened your eyes. With your heartbeat in your throat, you tightly gripped the paper and read the first line.

Congratulations.

Congratulations.

“I DID IT!” You cried, jumping up as you laughed with overflowing joy. “I GOT INTO THE GALAXY FREAKIN’ GARRISON!”

“I knew you would, my love!” You mother cried, wrapping her arms around you. “I always knew that you would!”

“YOU GOT IN! YOU GOT IN!” You sibling laughed, wrapping their arms around you too. “MY SISTER GOT IN!”

“This calls for a celebration! (Favorite cake) anyone?” You mother suddenly gleamed and rushed to her bags and pulled out some little confetti poppers and winked.

Your sibling gasped and ran over, snatching one from the pile and cackled.

“CONGRATULATIONS, (Y/N)!” They cried in sync shot confetti. You laughed, swiping the brightly colored specks from your clothes, tears almost pricking your eyes. You did it. You were going to be a fighter pilot.


	2. Prodigy Pilot

Smoothing down the stiff fabric of your new uniform, you tried to steady the slight shake in your hands. The pristine image that reflected itself in the mirror had an unusually pallid complexion, their eyes a little too wide, their lips pressed a little too tight, their chest rising a little too fast. The only consolation that it was in fact you standing in front of the mirror was the shining name tag pinned to the breast pocket. 

“Nervous?” Lily laughed as she slicked her fair hair back into a low bun. You jumped, pulling away from the mirror and gave a small laugh. You formally met Lily just yesterday, after all the cadets flew in and were accommodated with their new roommates. Although you weren’t much of a people person, you found it surprisingly easy to talk with her. 

“Just a little. First days are always tough,” You made your way over to your desk chair and sat down, pulling your hands into your lap. “I mean, it’s just a lot to process, you know?” 

“Exactly. But we’re all in the same position as you are, so there’s nothing to be worried about.” Lily turned in her seat, pressing her finger to her chin in pretend deep thought, “and if you want I can hold your hand and walk you to your classes-“

You laughed and shook your head, saying, “Oh yeah, lets all just watch the seventeen-year-old girl be walked to her classes, that’s so not weird.”

Lily scoffed and pressed her hand to her chest in fake indignation and said, “Yeah right, everyone will be so jealous. It’ll be like you have your own personal escort-“ 

“My own escort? How scandalous-“

“I didn’t mean it like that!” 

Your conversation was cut off by the overhead speaker installed in the dorm, the sound blaring, “Cadets please assemble in the Common Room for assessment in five minutes.” 

You looked at Lily who shrugged. “Maybe we’ll finally see what groups we are going to be put in today.” You sucked in a breath and nodded, making your way to the door. 

“You want to be a fighter pilot right? Maybe you’ll be paired up with that cute boy that everyone talks about.”

“He must not be that cute if I haven’t heard of him,”

“Oh boy, are you in for a ride.” Lily stood up and grabbed your elbow, smiling as she pulled you through the door. “Apparently he’s some pilot prodigy and has these super cute eyes, dark hair thats so freakin gorgeous-“ 

“‘So freakin’ gorgeous?’ Oh yeah, thats one for the books.” You laugh as you file into another room, a sea of orange uniforms lining up in rows. Your eyes scanned the crowed for the guy Lily was ranting about, but ran out of time as you were forced to line up next to another Cadet, one with twinkling blue eyes with a mischievous glint. 

Another man in a dark grey uniform stiffly walked to the center of the room, his shoulders squared back with his hands clasped tightly behind him. An off kilter hat was sitting atop his neatly combed hair, doing nothing to soften the hard glint in his eyes. He cleared his throat as other administrative officers lined his sides, creating a line. He gave a once over of the room before beginning his speech.

“Cadets, you are assembled here today to introduce you to your new teammates. You have been grouped together based on your assessment testing from admissions, skill level, and class. You will work with students similar to your own capabilities and will work together to hone in on your exceptional skills. Each and every one of you have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to pilot and we hope to cultivate that ability and produce the most elite astroexplorers your generation has to offer.” 

A surge of pride swelled in your chest as you stood higher, the nerves slowly unwinding themselves from your chest. 

“Now turn your attention to the back of the room,” Your eyes flickered to the metal wall behind him, screens flickering into existence with the Garrison’s symbol rotating in the middle. “In a few moments these screens will list the Cadet’s names with your designated title. You are to line up in rows as you are called and wait till further instruction.”

Instantly, the logo disappeared and a list of names lined the screens. Your eyes dodged to the screen titled “Fighter Pilots”, your eyes coming to rest at the second name. Your name. Right under a boy named Keith Kogane. 

You noticed the boy next to slump, probably disappointed by the groups. You felt a little bad for him, but was quickly distracted by the voice that filtered through the speakers. You waited for your group, your stomach rolling to find out who Keith was. 

“Keith Kogane,” You resisted the urge to crane your neck towards his direction, “(Y/n) (L/n),” You clenched your fist and took a deep breath, before stepping forward. Your eyes followed the lines on the ground, before meeting the soles of his shoes, guiding themselves up before meeting his face. And in an instant, you felt as though the breath was knocked out of you. Your eyes met briefly, a lightning of connection bolting between you. You struggled to move your feet correctly as you lined up next to him, your nerves on fire. 

Lily’s eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared at you, causing heat to rise to your face. You gave a sideways glance to Keith, subtly nodding towards him and Lily nodded back. It was him. This was the boy that everyone was crazy about.

And he was your partner. 

Your rival.


	3. Flight Simulator

Prodigy Pilot. 

That’s what Lily referred to Keith as. As students filed into the flight simulator room for our first class, you couldn’t help but wonder how much of that was true. How could someone earn such a title without even going through classes on the first day? How could it have been known so fast? How much were you already out of the loop? 

Resisting the urge to drag your palm down your face, you tried to focus on the tour that your instructor, Mr. Iverson, was giving. It was becoming increasingly difficult to do so when Keith was standing so close to you. Not that it was unusual, seeing the students were told to line up in the order that we were called in. 

But you felt impossibly aware of him, as though a sort of inexplicable energy was drawing you towards him. Wherever you looked, your eyes somehow found their way back to his frame. Admittedly, It was becoming a little irritating. 

“Cadet (L/n),” Iverson snapped. Your eyes widened as your face burned, your back rigid. Great, not even through the first day and you were already caught slacking off. 

“Yes, Sir.” 

“I would think being top of the class warrants a better attention span.” He glared at you, his voice cutting. You resisted the urge to cringe. You were usually never on the receiving end of an instructor’s scolding. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he glowered down at your frame. “Never get too comfortable. Rankings can change easily, and seeing how you are going, you better pull yourself together quickly, Cadet.” 

“Yes, Sir.” 

He stepped away and surveyed the group. “It would do this group some good to receive some first hand experience learning how to operate the simulator. And seems as though Cadet (L/n) has gladly volunteered herself.” 

You wanted to glare at him, punch him, something to regain a bit of dignity. But there was one way thing you knew how to do better than anyone else. Pilot. And you were going to show Iverson why you deserved to be top of the class, why you were standing here in this room. 

As you took a step forward, you were suddenly halted by Iverson once again. 

“Did I instruct you to leave, Cadet?” You clenched your hand into a fist, your nails biting into your palm. So much for a good first day. 

“No, Sir.” 

“Allow me to finish.” He pointed to the simulators again, where the machines were lined on a circular floor for multiple pilots to practice without taking up space. The arrangement made it easy to see the results for the instructor and anyone watching. That would mean any failures you made piloting would be on display for your entire class to see. How easy it would be for your positional to fall out of your grasp. Your stomach pooled with dread. 

"You will pilot one machine while Cadet Kogane,” He gestured to the boy beside you. “Pilots the other. You will start on my word. Understand Cadets?”

Was he trying to create turmoil among you guys? Did he think he was fun to battle the top two against each other? What was he trying to get at? Maybe he just wanted to see the position you worked so hard be taken away so easily. But would be too cruel, even for him. That left you with only one option. To prove yourself against the class prodigy. Sucking in a breath, you nodded as the two of you responded in sync. 

“Affirmative,” 

Reaching the machine, your body automatically went into auto-pilot. Having done this many times before, you sat down in the rigid chair and strapped yourself in, double checking the straps and buckles. Once tightened correctly, you tested your motion range and switched on the monitor, the screens around you coming to life. It was as though you were in a technological bubble, the glass curving around you as it streamed a video feed of you orbiting above a planet with asteroids circling its outer system.

Readings and data swarmed another screen left of you, giving you critical information as to the atmospheric levels, the force of gravity, the windspeed amoung other data. The control panel in front of you blinked with buttons and levers, bright red numbers for your ship readout and stabilizers. Everything seemed in correct working order.

Gripping the control wheel, you waited with bated breath.

“Begin.” 

Without a moment to loose, you pulled back the throttle levers, your eyes scanning the astroid belt for any potential openings. Your eyes flashed to the screen monitors, analyzing the speed on which the astroids were moving. Nothing too difficult to avoid.

And there, in between the rocks, was a sizable gap for you to enter. Throwing the levers down, your pressed the pedals down and sped forwards. Ignoring the warning sign that flashed on your screen, you pressed the pedal down harder and shoved the aircraft forward, racing against the incoming rock. And finally, somehow despite your luck, managed to avoid it. One rock down. Only a few hundred more to go. 

Gripping your lever tighter, you initiated evasive maneuvers and weaved around flying debris, your screen locked on the clear space ahead of you. If you could managed to evade the astroids for a few more minutes, you would be able to reach the planet’s atmosphere. But right now you needed to focus on getting out of this astroid belt. 

And you’d be damned if you lost to Keith Kogane. 

Swiping around another rock, you dove under one as it crashed into the one behind you, your craft rattling for the effect. Wincing, you pulled forward and managed to break into open space. 

That is, until your started diving. Your screen was once again littered with warnings as your dove into the atmosphere, the pressure and gravitation pull shaking the machine as you tried to withstand it. Your mind snapped back to your textbooks to do in event like this. 

Pull the control lever You thought, hastily diving it back, and hope for the damn best.

And the best you got. Flipping a few more switches and pressing a few more buttons, your machine started to straighten itself, your stabilizers leveling with the ground. Once you were in the clear, you screen blinked with your mission.

Reach the designated point within the allotted time. 

Fair enough. Your eyes trailed to the upper corner, where the four minute mark blinked, the milliseconds rapidly ticking down. Only four minutes? Okay, you were only a little screwed. 

Lifting the craft up, you dove around arches and projectiles that shot from the ground, evading them to the best of your ability. You knew that Iverson was increasing the difficulty, seeing how your entrance exam was never this difficult. 

Biting your lip you narrowly avoided a hunk of metal that grazed your side, causing a new throng of warnings to appear. 

“Come on,” You murmured, increasing the thrust. “You can do it.” The ship rattled in response. Managing to swiftly miss a few more missiles, you swept under a arch for cover. A warning beeped through the speakers.

Warning: One Minute Left 

Cursing, you pressed the pedals harder and prayed for the best. Checking your map, you were not that far from the designated point. You would have just barely enough time to make it. However, much to your astonishing luck, the next arch you passed under shuddered, releasing a spray of rocks directly onto your ship. Without anything else to do but take the brunt of the attack, the warnings beeped throughout the ship as it rumbled. 

A few seconds later, the lights shut off as SIMULATION FAILED glared back at you in its mockingly bright red letters. Groaning, you threw your head back into your seat and pushed your hands through your hair. So close. So so close. 

Unbuckling yourself from the machine, you threw off the belts and took a deep breath. Stepping out, you were amazed to find the machine next to you still on, the lights blaring. Gaping, you walked around to face the screens, where Keith managed to evade an avalanche of rocks. The point you missed. 

Feeling as though your were rooted to the spot, you could only stare in amazement as the lights blinked green. Simulation Completed. 

He did it. He actually did it. And under four minutes. 

Students began clapping, just amazed as you were as Keith stepped out of the machine. And dear god, did he look good too. His dark hair was pushed against his face, not even looking a little disgruntled. Your face flushed. You were beginning to lose count how many times you’ve blushed today, either out of embarrassment, anger, or awe. 

Clearing your head, you summoned all your courage and stepped forward, offering your hand. 

“Good job, Kogane.” You hoped your voice sounded more confident than you felt. He looked at your hand for a moment then at the screen, before nodding. 

“You too, (L/n).” His hand was larger than your own, warm, as his took his hand into yours. They were a little rough, probably from all the work he does, because look at his body he must work out so much-

“You both faired far better than I excepted,” Iverson said gruffly as you hastily pulled away from Keith, giving him an embarrassed smile. “Although there could be some improvements from your side, Cadet (L/n).”

Of course. You were opened for constructive criticism as long as it didn’t come from Iverson, sounding more like a complaint. 

“But you both did far better than most veteran pilots who have attempted that level of difficulty. For that, you should both feel proud at that achievement.” 

Wow, an actual compliment from Iverson? Was hell freezing over? 

Throwing a sideways glance at Keith, you tried to decipher his thoughts. That is, until he turned his head. For the briefest moment, your eyes collided in sort of look that made your knees weak and face flush. His eyes were dark, violet and impenetrable. And they were looking right at you. Giving him a weak smile, he quirked his lip before nodding at you.

And as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Clearing your throat in embarrassment, you turned your head and followed the class out of the room and back into the hallways. 

Lining outside the door, Iverson motioned with his hand back towards the group to follow him, pretending as though his earlier compliment never happened.

“At twelve p.m. everyday lunch will be served in this cafeteria.” Iverson motioned to the doors ahead of him, one clearly labeled as the cafeteria. As he neared closer, the doors slid open and allowed everyone inside. 

The smell of food caused your stomach to rumble. You didn’t realize how hungry you were until now, the nervous energy from earlier taking your appetite with it. The cafeteria itself was large and sleek, same as the interior of other rooms. It wasn’t exactly made for comfort either. Plastic chairs lined the long tables, rows of them pushed up against the walls. The food that caused your stomach to rumble was being served on the other side of the room, school style. Plates were already heaped with the nutrient packed food, kept warm under the heat lamps that glowed from the counters. Students edged towards the growing line, eager to eat.

“We will reconvene in exactly one hour outside this room. Do not be late.” He waited for a moment, making his point clear, before frowning. “Dismissed.” 

And like a dam breaking, the flow of students released into the lines. Maybe you could use this an opportunity to talk with Keith. Allowing a few students to pass you, you managed to weasel your way into a spot behind him, trying to talk with him. But it seemed as though other students had the same idea. They crowded around you guys, eager with questions at the mini-battle between you. 

“Wow that was so cool-“

“You guys are crazy good at piloting, you have to teach those maneuvers-“ 

“I’ve never seen anyone do those moves before, how in the world-“

You tried to ignore the warmth that flooded your face. But as they tried talking to you, you gave absent-minded answers as your head was still reeling from the flight simulator, just as amazed as everyone else by Keith’s piloting abilities. It was far better than you anticipated and it showed how much he deserved his “Prodigy pilot” title from everyone. How you got to go against him and almost won. 

Almost. 

You turned to Keith, a question of your own on the tip of your lips, but was amazed to find that he wasn’t there anymore. He was already walking across the cafeteria and towards the doors. You didn’t know how he managed to sift through the group and escape so easily.

“Wait!” You called out, not knowing where your newfound courage surfaced. Maybe it was the look you shared earlier? Stepping out of the line you rushed past the people and jogged towards Keith, stepping in front of him before he could leave and gently pressed your hand to his chest to stop him.

He raised an eyebrow. He looked down at your hand before looking back at you.

“Um, excuse me?” 

Blushing, you whipped your hand back and tucked them behind you. “Uh- sorry. I just wanted to talk with you and you were already walking away and I thought that I would walk with you, because your piloting was really amazing and I wanted to know how you did it-“ 

You looked at his face, the words falling helplessly from your lips. His face was nearly indecipherable. Snapping your mouth shut to keep from further embarrassing yourself you promptly waited for his answer, your heart beating wildly your chest. 

He looked back at the door before looking at you. He sighed in defeat and ran his hand through his hair, nodding. 

“I’m heading over to the lounge if you wanted to-“

“Yes!” You smiled eagerly. Blushing you bit your lip and lowered you voice. “I mean, yes. Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it,"


	4. Interrupted Discussions

“I’ve never seen anyone pilot like that.” You began, testing the waters as you walked down the hallway with Keith. Things weren’t nearly as awkward as you anticipated, seeing how you practically cornered him into taking you with him. He didn’t seem like the type to go out and make conversation, but didn’t deny having one with you. Your heart fluttered. 

“I started training when I was young.” He replied, crossing his arms while glancing at the maps on the walls, before turning down another hallway. “Joining the Garrison wasn’t a priority for me at the time.” 

“Really?” You stared at him for a moment, crossing your own arms subconsciously. “I would’ve thought you were destined for this place. You know, ever since I was a kid I’ve been dying to learn how to pilot. I just think its so exhilarating. My older sibling, (S/n), they tried to get in here but wasn’t able to. But that didn’t stop them from encouraging me to apply, though, and that’s something I’ll forever be grateful for.” 

Keith gave you a sideways glance, something you missed as you looked ahead. You always felt some guilt that you made into the Garrison instead of your sibling, but thankfully they’ve never shown any resentment towards you as others would have. All they’ve ever been was supportive. Your heart ached. 

“I miss them a little, which is silly since its only the first day.” You laugh, pushing a hand through your hair. “But it’s also a blessing in disguise. I feel like this is a really good opportunity to get to know myself.” 

The two of you stopped outside the Lounge, the walk going by far faster than you anticipated. Blushing, you uncrossed your arms and shoved your hands into your pockets.

“Uh, sorry I didn’t mean to spill all of that to you,” You gave a sheepish smile, “I hope you didn’t mind.” 

“It’s fine,” Keith said as he leaned against the wall beside the doors, his leg propping himself up as he crossed his arms and shrugged. “It’s nice not having to be bombarded with questions all the time like a few minutes ago.” 

Your face burned as you nervously wrapped your fingers together, averting his gaze.

“Uh, you’re probably going to hate me for saying this, but would you mind answering a few of mine? It won’t take that long and nothing personal, it’s totally okay if you don’t want to-” 

He quirked his lip and interrupted, saying in a teasing voice, “Shoot, before I change my mind.”

“Thank you,” You laugh, shifting to lean beside him, your elbows brushing. It felt as though your skin was lit aflame, the fire gently melting your nerves away. When he didn’t pull away, you continued. “Alright, first question. How did you get past that arch?” 

He immediately answered without hesitation. 

“Instinct.”

You scoffed, throwing your hands in the air as you turned to stare at him. His lips were quirked into amused smile, his eyes glowing at your flustered state.

“Instinct? Really? My instincts told me to go under that arch and look where that got me! That’s so not fair!” 

“Hey, no one said that it was.” 

“Oh believe me, I know.” Digging the sole of your shoes into the ground, you suddenly grimaced. “Iverson practically ripped me apart during training today. I mean, it was like he was only out there to get me! And that look on his face? He acted like I just told him Santa's filling his stocking with coal this year!" 

A short laugh escaped from Keith’s lips, something that jolted you from your daze. It was melodic, captivating, and most of all- contagious. Grinning, you gently shifted a piece of hair from your eyes and tucked it behind your ear, laughing softly along with him.

It was wonderful the way Keith’s eyes followed your movements, how the look nearly immobilized you. Warm tendrils of electricity ignited your body as your mind turned a little muddled. With your heart speeding up, you stood a bit closer to him, hoping you weren’t pushing your luck. 

You heard him suck in a breath beside you. Your heart began to race, your movements becoming a little bolder, the little devil on shoulder talking a little louder, maybe you should flirtatiously brush your hand against his arm-

The sound of the doors sliding open jolted the two of you apart, the moment ruined. Clearing your throat, you turned to look at the person who stepped through, although it was admittedly difficult to focus at the moment. They paused for a moment, throwing a quick glance between the two of you, before giving an apologetic smile.

“Keith,” They said, stepping aside. Something about him looked familiar, but you didn’t know exactly what it was. You studied his face for a moment, the features suddenly registering in your mind. You gaped as he continued his conversation with Keith. “I’m sorry to interrupt your earlier conversation, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Would you two like some space?”

Both of your faces burned. Keith gave a nervous laugh and shook his head before turning to you, saying, “Uh, that’s fine. (Y/n), this is Shiro. Shiro, this is (Y/n) (L/n). We’re in the same class together.” 

Shiro held his hand out to you as you tried to withhold a girly screech. An introduction was almost unnecessary. You knew who he was. You were about to shake Takashi Shirogane’s hand, a legend at the Garrison and future pilot of the well anticipated Kerberos mission. You took his hand, hoping you didn’t look too eager.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Sir.” 

“As it is the same. I’ve heard much about your piloting skills, (Y/n), and I must say I am impressed.” 

You blushed. “Thank you, Mr. Shirogane. Although I’m not embarrassed to admit I’m not nearly as good as Keith, here.” You turned to him, smiling. Keith shook his head, crossing his arms. 

“Actually she wasn’t that far behind me on the simulator.” He looked at you again, his eyes bright. “She was a lot better than a lot of people I’ve seen who tried that level.” 

Shiro looked between you two again, his eyes curious. 

“Well it’s easy to see that’s its not only the instructors who admire your abilities, (Y/n).” He said as he then looked at Keith, an undecipherable message passing between the two of them. A warm sensation pulsed through your fingertips. Shiro turned back to you, nodding. “I’m sorry to say, but I need to steal Keith for a bit, if you don’t mind. It was nice meeting you, Cadet (Y/n).” 

“Nice meeting you too, Mr. Shirogane.” You gave a polite nod before turning to Keith. “See you after lunch?” 

“Count on it.” 

After the two of you parted ways, you began aimlessly wandering the halls, your mind feeling as though it was about to go supernova. You just flirted with the Keith freakin’ Kogane and met your Piloting Idol with just enough time to grab lunch. It all seemed too good to be true. 

Pressing your hands to your face, you let out a little squeal of glee. Swiping your hair back, you gave a joyful little exhale and bounded through the halls and towards the cafe. This called for girl-talk and you knew just the girl to go to. 

Bursting through the doors, you automatically headed over to the now dwindling line and grabbed a random plate, not caring what food you got. Grabbing a fork and napkin, you skipped through the line and scanned the room, hoping that Lily was here somewhere. 

“(Y/n)!” You heard her familiar voice over the chatter of the lunchroom and turned that way. You saw her grinning and waving you over from her seat, where two other Cadets talking animatedly sat with her. Rushing over, you threw your chair back and sat on the edge of your seat, nearly brimming over with excitement.

“Lily, I have so much to tell you-“ 

“Whoa there, slow down girl! Let me introduce you to these guys first.” She laughed, poking your arm before turning to the cadets you saw earlier. Blushing, you gave a sheepish wave before Lily continued with a poorly hidden smirk.

“This is Lance,” She pointed her salad filled fork at the guy who you remembered who stood next to you earlier. You nodded at him and smiled politely. “And this is Hunk. Lance, Hunk and I are in the same class! Guys, this is (y/n)!”

Lance leaned over his plate, winking, “Only the best Cargo Pilot in the entire class, thank you very much. Nice to finally meet you (Y/n)-“ 

“Sorry, you can feed the entire world a hundred times over with how big this guy’s ego is, so don't let it get to you.” Hunk laughed as Lance gasped, his eyes filled with mock betrayal. You happy to see that Lance wasn’t looking as disappointed as he did earlier.

“Hey!” His hands clasped to his chest as though wounded, leaning back in his seat. 

“And let me remind you, Lance, since (Y/n) is too modest, that your talking to one of the best fighter pilots this academy has to offer.” 

“Lily!” You cried, smacking her arm. She held up her fork. 

“Ow! I’m just saying the truth! And lets not forget I’m armed with a very dangerous plastic fork!” She waved it threateningly, or as threatening as you could with leaves falling and a rouge tomato squashed on the ground. You deadpanned. 

“Wait hold up! Time out," Lance held his hands up and crossed them over into an "X", his eyes wide as his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Are you the girl who got to race against Keith Kogane?"

And got to flirt with him too.

"Keith got to race against me." You grinned, winking. 

"Dude that's so cool!" Hunk said, looking excited as Lance was. "It's nearly all that everyone was talking about during lunch!"

"It was awesome, (y/n)! It's like your becoming a lil' celebrity here!" Lily nearly squealed, nudging you with her elbow. You rolled your eyes playfully and shook your head. 

"Everyone will forget about it soon enough," You shrugged as you then looked to the mess surrounding you. "Although I'm doubting anyone is going to forget this mess of a salad if we don't clean it up."

"Man, what did that salad ever do to you." Lance said sadly shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "May it finally gain the rest it deserves." 

“More like what did that salad do to be serve with that dressing, I mean the least they could’ve done was offer more spices-“ Hunk was promptly cut off by the sharp yell of Iverson outside, the sound ricocheting off the walls. Your eyes cut to the clock on the side, fear pooling in your stomach. Twelve o’clock on the dot. You were already late. Why was your internal clock so thrown off today?

“Shoot!” You blurted, grabbed your plate and gave an apologetic glance to the group as you ran to the trashcans. “I’m super sorry, but it was nice meeting you all!” 

“Try not to die!” Lily called, nearly doubling over with laughter at your frantic state. You glared at her as you threw away your plate and ran towards the exit, your heart pounding. 

Slipping through the doors, you stumbled and then straightened yourself, clearing your throat. You saw Keith near the edge of the group, his eyebrow raised. You shook your head as you tried to sneak your way over to him.

“Cadet (Y/n).” Iverson called, his voice filled with warning. You stopped in your tracks, your shoulders sagging. The crowd parted, giving you a front row seat to Iverson’s wrath.

Nothing like a good old-fashioned lecture from Iverson to end your break.


	5. Fighting Lessons

Your hands gripped the metal bar, sweat pearling on your forehead as you lifted yourself up to your chin for the last time. Nearly shaking with exhaustion, your muscles begged for a moment of rest. You knew that physical training in the Garrison would test your limits, as many space programs would, but as your muscles painfully ached from one too many pull-ups, you were beginning to question your willingness to do so. 

Hands slipping from the bar, you laid them against the wall to steady yourself. You closed your eyes and pressed your forehead to the cool metal wall in front of you and enjoyed the momentary relief. For a brief moment you expected an instructor to yell at you and demand you to do twenty more pull-ups like he has for the past three weeks, but the room was eerily silent except for your heavy breathing. 

Cursing, you backed away from the wall and wiped the sweat from your brow, trying to distract yourself from the pain. Since it was after school hours, cadets were free to do as they pleased till ten pm, when they are then forced to head off to their dormitories. As of right now, there was no one in the workout room since everyone had an intense day of training just an hour before. It also didn’t help that it was closing time in twenty minutes.

Now your were free to wallow in your own self-inflicted pain for twenty whole minutes, alone. Wonderful. Clenching your mouth closed, you sucked in a breath before leaping upwards, gripping the bar over head with all your waning strength. At least you would die with toned arms.

“You know,” Someone said behind you, startling you mid-pull. Your hands slipped as you landed on the ground, stumbling for a moment in surprise. “Alternating workouts is better than attacking the pull-up bar.” 

You whirled around, your face flushing at the sound. Keith was standing there, arms crossed with a towel slipped around his neck. He was watching you, a teasing grin on his lips.

“Keith!” You cried, pulling a hand to your chest as you pretend to fan yourself with the other. “You nearly scared that living daylights out of me! What are you doing here?”

“Uh, to work out? Like this room was made for?” 

You playfully scowled and stuck out your tongue in response. Keith made his way over, slipping his towel into his hands. He nimbly threw it towards you, your hands grasping the soft fabric as you gave him a grateful smile.

“I didn’t mean to startle you though.”

You shook your head and quickly swiped your face. “You didn’t. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to come around this time. Although I should’ve known you would be here sooner or later.” 

“Shameful, really.” He teased as you laughed, leaning against the wall behind you. He joined you, propping himself up with one leg while he crossed his arms. You sucked in a breath. It always felt as though your nerve endings were on fire whenever he was near. He was the flame and you were the paper that crumbled in his presence. 

“It’s funny that I’m the shameful one,” You bumped your hip with his, chuckling as you turned to face him, ignore the flutter in your chest and the warmth in your face. “seeing how someone decided to only come and workout with only twenty minutes to spare.” 

“Quality over quantity, as they always say.” Keith said as his eyes flitted to the pull-up bar above him. You gasped, stepping away as you remembered his earlier comment. 

“Hey, Mr. I’m-So-Strong! Show me what you got then!” You grinned as you held up your arms, which ached more than ever, and flexed. “Unless you’re too scared-“ 

Keith scoffed and rolled his eyes, a soft grin on his lips as he placed his hand on your shoulder as he passed you. Your skin buzzed with energy at the feel of his skin on yours, even though it only lasted for a few moments. 

“Follow me.” Keith said as he walked over to a few mats in the corner, used for hand-to-hand combat practices. As he stepped to one corner, he nodded to the other. “Care to join? I mean, unless you’re too scared-“ His voice was still as playful as it was before, his eyebrow raised. You grinned. 

“Of course, Hotshot. Let’s see if you can fight as well as you pilot.” You say as you wink, taking up the opposite corner. But you already knew the answer to your question. You’ve seen Keith fight. He was agile, strong, and fluid. You had no chance against him. 

But no one in the right mind would ever think about passing up an opportunity to be in close quarters with their crush. Even if it would mean getting their ass handed to them. 

“Ready?”

You widened your stance, leveling yourself as you raised your fists, guarding your face. The nervous energy and excited that you always felt before a fight pulsed through your veins, allowing the ache in your arms to dissipate. You nodded. 

“Whenever you are, Pretty Boy.” 

Keith surged forwards, as fluid as an arrow and you were his target. Steeling your nerves, you pulled your weight to the balls of your feet, waiting till the last possible moment to dodge. A second later, you pulled off to the side and enjoyed your moment of triumph as Keith punched a fistful of air. 

“Gotta be quicker than that.” You teased as you grounded yourself again, circling Keith with your arms raised. You knew that Keith was holding back on you, seeing how you weren’t eating the mat as of right now. But you still had to stay alert. 

You were careful to watch Keith’s form, waiting to see any sign of his muscles tensing, ready to spring forward at any given moment. While you weren’t the one to attack, your defense was strong. 

And even though you were one of the top fighters in your class, it would take a lot more than swift maneuvering to defeat Keith Kogane. 

It would even be more difficult not to focus on the lines of his muscles that ridged through his shirt, the determined look in his eyes that glinted in the fluorescent light. The way his hair was slightly disheveled, pushing against his eyes-

Uh oh.

You were screwed. 

You shifted your feet, throwing a fist forward in hopes of having a little contact, only for Keith catch it in his palm. You stared at him as he stepped forward and swiped your leg out from underneath you, pushing against your hand and caused you to lose your balance. Crashing back down into the mat, you gasped as Keith threw his legs over you, one hand gently pushing against your chest as he locked you into the position. 

You burned partly from embarrassment and the thrill of having the Keith Kogane above you, although the circumstances were not ideal. You couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful boy above you, your eyes wide with poorly concealed awe. Keith was looking at you too, an undecipherable look, the soft mat pressing into both of you as you stayed in that position with no sign of either of you leaving. 

“You usually last a lot longer in a fight.” Keith says, his voice low as you edge your body closer, your breath hitching. 

“It- it was an unfair fight.” You reply, resisting the urge to swipe a lock of his hair behind his ear. He leaned down, putting his weight onto his arms, his face edging closer to yours. You forgot how to breathe. 

“How?” He asked, seemingly amused by your flustered state. You wanted to curse. You swallowed, your hands nearly shaking as you dug them into the mat. 

“I was, uh,” You were mesmerized by his eyes, how they were grey but nearly a violet in the light, glowing and setting you aflame. You could barely get the words out. “-distracted.” 

“Then focus.” And just like that, Keith lifted himself up and stood, offering out his hand. You wanted to glare at him, something, for leaving you like that. You already missed the warmth of his body against yours, how warm his breath was against your skin. You wanted to scream. 

Huffing, you got up on your elbows and stood up on your own, ignoring his hand. Grinning, he crossed his arms as you tried to steady your breathing, looking at anything but him. 

“You fight good.” You say, your voice sounding a little breathless. You mentally cursed your disarrayed state. Never has anyone disarmed you so fast. 

“So do you.” Keith said, his eyes pinpointed on you, before turning away. “When you’re focused.” 

“Hey!” You complained, the embarrassment washing away as you followed him, throwing your towel at him. “That’s not my fault that yo-“

You’re so attractive.

You halted, the words catching your throat as you scrambled to change your answer. “-you’re such a good fighter!” 

“Then lets work on it.” Keith stopped in front of a row of punching bags and stood in front of a particularly worn one. You stood beside him, an eyebrow raised. 

“You’re willing to train me?” You asked, rolling your wrist as you hesitantly stared at the punching bag. You didn’t know how you felt about embarrassing yourself in front of your crush now. But private lessons? Hell yes. 

“If you’re willing to work with me.” Keith shrugged, stepping away as he went over to his duffel bag. “That is, if you want to train-“

“Yes!” You say immediately, blushing at your eagerness as you backtracked. “I mean, yes. I- uh, thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.” He replied as he took out a pair of gloves from his bag, tugging them on as he walked back to you. And dear god did he look good. His appearance was always a little disheveled, but even more so with your little battle. You tugged your arms around you to hide the shakiness. 

“Rule one,” He said as walked in front of you. “Is to stay focused. You never know when your opponent will attack.” 

You stepped aside as Keith lined himself up with the punching bag, giving him a clear area. “Rule two, make sure you are always grounded. It’s easy to take someone down when they have a poor sense of balance.” 

You watched as Keith went into a fighting stance, and focused on his footing. You decided to go to bag next to him and copy him. 

“Like this?” You asked, as you parted your footing. 

“Perfect, you’ve always had great posture-“ 

Before Keith could say anything else, the alarm bell went off in the gym. Your eyes snapped to the clock, your stomach sinking at the time. Ten o’clock. You straightened and frowned as Keith did the same. 

“Find me tomorrow,” He said as you both went to gather your stuff, hurrying to avoid any consequences of returning to your dorms. You usually had a ten minute period to reach your dorms, and you didn’t want to get anymore on Iverson’s nerves, so it was best if you left now. 

“Around nine?” You asked as you shouldered your bag, your water bottle clutched in the other. The two of you walked to the doors together, the panels sliding apart as you neared. 

“Sure.” Keith’s hands tightened on his bag for a moment as you lingered outside the doors as they hissed to a close behind you. You waited with bated breath. He sucked in a breath before turning to you. “Do you, uh, want me to walk with you to your dorm-“

“I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Yes, yes you may.” You grinned as you nudged him with your arm, turning on your heel as you made your way down the corridor. He followed in step beside you, glancing down at you. 

“Thanks for that back there,” You said as you turned another corner, enjoying the way your arms brushed as you walked side-by-side. “You didn’t have to, but I really appreciated it.” 

“I wanted to.” He replied, your heart soaring at the words. You bit your lip to suppress the squeal that threatened to spill past your lips. 

“It was nice getting to know you more, Keith.” You say, as you stopped in front your door, your heart slightly sinking. You turned towards him, rocking your heels as you tried not to think too much about what you were going to do next. You leaned forwards, tugging Keith closers towards you as you stood on your tip toes. “Thank you.” You whisper against his ear, before pressing your lips to the corner of his. Smiling softly, you pulled away and enjoyed the way his face turned a soft pink, his eyes wide. 

“Goodnight,” You say as you give a fluttering wave and turned on your heel, opening the doors and sliding in before he could say another word. When the closed behind you, you threw yourself onto the bed, tugging your pillow to your body and laughed.

God, was Lily going to freak when she heard about this.


	6. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Warning: Mild Swearing)

“You’re in love. Just admit it-“ Lily laughed as you lunged forwards, cupping your hand over her mouth as your eyes widened in panic. The students closest to you turned to look, frowns forming from the sudden outburst. Books crowded the tables, some students with earbuds jammed into their ears as they poured themselves over their books. It was one of the few luxuries they allowed in the Garrison. Admittedly, gossiping about the latest thing Keith Kogane did today at the library was not the smartest idea.

“Lily! Shut up!” You hissed as you removed your hands from her lips. Students who turned to look returned to their work looking somewhat annoyed. Your face burned with embarrassment.

“Damn woman, calm down!” She said, lowering her voice as she grabbed a textbook and propped it up on the table. You did the same, and together you lowered your heads on the desk, so that the pages would cover your faces. “Better? Besides, I didn’t even use his name!”

“Let’s come up with a codename for him instead.” You said as you bit your lip. You could never be too careful. The idea of someone overhearing the topic of conversation made you jittery with nerves.

“What are we in middle school-“

“Please?”

“Okay! Okay, just give me a moment.” Lily bit her lip as she stared at the pages in her textbook. It was a section on piloting history and famous figures throughout history. Her eyes brightened suddenly brightened as she scanned the page, her lips quirking into a smile.

“How about Red?”

“Isn’t it a little too obvious?“ You complained. One of Keith’s afterschool attires included a red jacket that you particularly adored on him. You didn’t want other people to make the connection as well.

“(Y/n), not everyone is super obsessed with uh, Red, like you are so stop worrying and let’s go back to what we were talking about! So you were saying that Red-“

“Whose Red?”

You jolted from the table, nearly toppling over as Lance leaned against the side, a grin on his lips. Once again, students turned to stare at the outburst. Glaring, you stooped down to pick up your book from the ground, the pages now probably bent.

“No one.” You said, trying to keep your voice neutral. When Lance didn’t say anything, you were briefly filled with suspicion. Lance always had something to say. Frowning, you looked up and saw him looking at Lily, an eyebrow raised. You twisted to see Lily nodding, causing you to burst from your seat, gathering your things.

“Hey, (y/n), it’s okay if you’re not ready to admit you have a crush on this guy-“ Lance said, keeping his voice respectfully low, causing you to slow your movements. “But know you got a whole team to be your wingman and women. Kei-”

“RED!” You blurted, staring at him pointedly. He nodded and continued, slipping into the seat next to you. You still stood where you where, your things half-packed into your bag. Ready to leave. Why? Because you couldn’t bear to face your feelings?

“Red probably likes you too, you know.” 

You let that sink in for a moment, before shaking your head. You wouldn’t let yourself get your hopes high about a guy that probably had no interest in dating you. What if he saw past the little kiss you gave him yesterday? You still weren’t able to face him after the incident, the mere memory of it making your body buzz with energy.

“You’re probably thinking about him right now.” Lily whispered, poking you in the back. You stepped away before she could jab you again.

“No! No, I’m not.” You grabbed your textbook and pulled it close to your chest, before turning to Lance. He was balancing on the edge of his chair, his fingers tapping against the table. “Dude, what are you doing here anyways? I thought you would be with Hunk or maybe flirting with that one girl, oh what was her name again? Jen-“

“Okay, Okay! I get it!” Lance whisper shouted, raising his hands in the air in a placating gesture as he straightened in his seat. You gave a triumphant smile as you shouldered your bag. “I just wanted to check up on my friends! Is that so bad?” Lance said as he pouted, crossing his arms.

“When you’re the one doing it, yeah.” Lily laughed as she gathered her books. “While we do love you, Lance, you probably had some work to do before you came over here.”

“You know I could never pass up an opportunity to gossip.”

“Lance, go do your work.”

“It was just a five minute break!” Lance complained as you playfully hit his shoulder. You knew that Lance wasn’t the type to slack off and worked hard to be where he was. He just needed a little push in the right direction sometimes.

“I’ll see you later, you dork.” You smiled as you fist bumped with Lance. “And you better be back at your table by the time we get out those doors!”

“I make no promises.” He said grinning, fist bumping with Lily before waving the two of you away. You couldn’t help but smile. You were always eternally grateful to have a friend like Lance, who never failed to get you talking. And you knew he would never turn against your back. He was loyal- a good friend to always have.

Once out in the hallway, you gripped the strap of your bookbag, suddenly nervous. So much for that little pep talk. Lily gave you a sideways glance, before shaking her head.

“Worried about running into him?”

“Well yeah, because we haven’t talked since the incident. What would I do if I saw him now? Oh hey, I know we haven’t talked since then, but lets pretend it never happened-“

“Now you’re just rambling.” Lily wrapped her arm over your shoulder, squeezing. “Just take a deep breath, girl. Everything’s going to be good! Like gouda cheese-“

“Please never say that phrase again.”

“I know, I’m sorry that was pretty terrible, but still!” The two of you leaned against the corner of a hallway, were foot traffic was pretty nonexistent. You kicked your leg behind you and crossed your arms. “You have nothing to worry about.”

You wished that was true. You had everything to worry about. You worked so hard to build up a good relationship with Keith, and once you finally felt like you were getting somewhere with him, you pull this stunt. You just felt so enveloped in the moment, you forgot the implications. The consequences.

“I just don’t want to ruin anything I have with Keith.” You whispered, forgoing the codename momentarily. It felt better to say his name, how easily it rolled off your tongue. Like it belonged there. No other name would sound quite as right as his name did. “Maybe I’m just a little scared to admit how much I like him-“

There was a sudden clanging in the background. You froze for a moment, your heart beating harshly against your chest. There was the sounded of retreating steps, getting farther away from you both. You shared a look with Lily, whose eyes were drawn together in confusion. Pressing your hand against the wall, you held your breath. Finally, you peeked over the corner.

No one was there. Turning back to Lily, you shook your head and fully stepped around the corner. Lily followed you, biting her lip. 

“It sounded like something dropped.“ You frowned as you scanned the ground, your heart falling back into a steady pace. There was one stylus laying on the ground, rolled up against the edges of the hallway. You stooped down and picked it up, rolling it between your fingers. It was a standard issued one that came with the tablets, except there was a black heart inked onto the side with a sharpie, with the initial G. You frowned. “Probably dropped out of someone’s binder or something.”

“Gross,” Lily said as you held it up in the air, exposing the chewed end of it. “Who knows who’s mouth that’s been in.”

“Apparently a person named G.” You said as you stood, staring at it for a moment longer before pocketing it into your bag. “Let’s get out of here before anything else happens.”

Lily checked her watch and sighed. “We have a few minutes till break is over, so I should probably head back.” 

You grimaced, the thought of having class with Keith next period, but still managed to give Lily a smile as you stepped forward to give her a quick hug.

“Try not to die.” She laughed, patting your back.

“I’ll try not to.”

 

Loitering outside the classroom door was not your style. Not to mention a little creepy. Instead you pretended to fumble with your tablet for a moment or two, checking over the time an obscene number of times and refreshing your inbox. Class started in two minutes and it was getting to be a little awkward to stand by the door as students walked in, giving you a quick glance before heading in.

Maybe you just needed to suck it up and pretend nothing happened. Maybe it’s what he wants. You withheld a frustrated groan. Since when did things get so complicated between the two of you? Or was this all just you?

Taking a deep breath, you ignored the pulsing of your heart and pushed away from the wall. Accepting your painfully awkward fate, you knew there was no avoiding what was to come. Tucking your tablet under your arm, you stepped in front of the door and allowed it to slide open.

You didn’t know what you getting so worked up about. Keith and you had assigned seats a few rows behind each other, so you didn’t even have to talk, much less look at each other. Not that it would stop you guys from doing so. Walking towards your seat near the middle of class, you set your bag down and pulled out your tablet and history book. Students chatted with each other, laughing and joking seeing the teacher has yet to arrive.

You began playing with the stylus in your hand, thinking of the one in your bag. You didn’t know who it belonged to, or how much they heard. But you were willing to give that person the benefit of the doubt. They were probably simply walking by at the time. Nothing to worry about.

A sudden ding from your tablet snapped you out of your reverie. Flushing, you muted your tablet and glanced at the message that popped onto your screen:

Lance_McClain: there r girls talking about you and Keith in the hallway. Didn’t think we were talking that loud in the library but u think anyone else heard? (14:06)

 

You gaped at the message. Talk about timing. You were talking pretty low at the library and everyone was too busy with other projects to notice you guys. But…

Your eyes flew to the stylus in your bag, your heart pounding. Whoever G was, they might have heard and were spreading gossip about you two. Panicked, you looked up at Keith to see him leaned on the desk, his chin in his hand, looking out towards the window. Your heart clenched. You didn’t want him to hear from anyone other than you about how you felt.

How you felt. What you did. And for a brief moment, all the fear your felt melted. His dark hair was swept to one side, always a little on the long side, a look you always loved. Loved. You were so flirty with him yesterday, the close combat, the touching, the almost kiss… how all of that shouldn’t scare you. You turned back to your tablet, you lip tugged between your teeth.

 

(First name)_(Last name): I’m guessing a girl by the name of G. Recognize any of those girls you passed? Do they sound…idk mean about it? God, I feel like I’m in fucking middle school again. This is just so childish (14:07)

 

Lance_McClain: ugh no thnx lets not talk about middle school. they just sound really gossipy u know? It’s taylor, rei and amanda. (14:07)

 

(F/n)_(L/n): Fuck I hate them. Isn’t Cleo another “friend’ of theirs? She’s in this class. She’s a bitch. (14:08)

 

Tapping your fingers nervously against the desk, you were thankful that your teacher was so late to class. It was supposed to start at 14:05 but he probably thought it was 14:10. It was giving you enough time to talk with Lance and get to know what was happening.

Cleo was a girl in your class who always tried to one-up you in everything and failed every time. Her clique of girls included Rei, Amanda and Taylor, all who loved to gossip. You had no idea how they even made into the Garrison with that kind of attitude.

Out of habit, you brought your nails to your lips, chewing lightly on the ends. Another message popped up on your dash, this time from a different person. Your heart leapt at the username, whether from nerves or endearment you didn’t know.

 

Keith_Kogane: you okay? (14:08)

 

You looked up from your tablet and saw Keith looking at you, an eyebrow raised. His gray eyes were questioning, glancing down at your hand and back to your eyes once again. Blushing, you lowered your hand into your lap and gave a sheepish smile. You gave a small wave to him to show you were okay and turned back to your keyboard.

 

(F/n)_(L/n): I’m fine, just nervous. You know, the test next period and all that. (14:08)

 

Keith_Kogane: Don’t worry about it. You’ll do great as always. (14:08)

 

(F/n)_(L/n): Thank you :) (14:09)

 

You looked up from your tablet, meeting Keith’s eyes once again. You smiled softly, even though being from across the room it sent your heart fluttering. Unfortunately, that also meant you could see Cleo’s glare from across the room, stabbing right through you. Your smile wavered. The conversation you were having with Lance popped into your head. You winced and returned to your tablet.

 

[To Keith]

(F/n)_(L/n): Better stop messaging before class starts. (14:09)

You hesitated, before adding on before you lost the courage.

(F/n)_(L/n): Meet me outside the doors to our spot at 21:00 (14:09)

 

You held your breath as you waited for his reply. When you referenced the doors, you meant the spot where you could access the roof. Lance and Hunk showed you how to access it if you ever wanted to leave, so you started taking Keith there at night and it became a tradition that just stuck. Maybe you could use this time to confess to him. The thought made your hands sweat and your pulse thrum.

 

Keith_Kogane: Okay, I’ll see you there (14:09)

During class, when Mr.Harris finally showed up a minute after your last message, he decided to give the class a reading. This allowed you to check your other messages on your tablet that you ignored while talking to Keith. You saw the group chat that Lance made going crazy in the time that you were gone.

Lance_McClain: The persons name must have started with a G. but idk who. But I my spidey senses are going crazy I feel like its cleo (14:08)

Lance_McClain: (Y/n)??? (14:08)

Lance_Mclain: ??????!!!! (14:09)

 

Lily_RoseMae: (Y/N)!!!! (14:16)

Lily_RoseMae: ANSWER!! (14:16)

 

Hunk_Garrett: Geez I heard what happened I’m sorry (Y/n). (14:16)

 

Lily_RoseMae: the damn snake we heard in the hallways must’ve said something…(14:17)

 

Lance_McClain: why would someone want to spill her crush anyways? (14:17)

 

Lily_RoseMae: jealousy? (14:17)

 

Hunk_Garrett: sometimes people r mean without reason. But don’t worry (y/n) we’ll fix this (14:18)

 

Your heart warmed at how devoted your friends were to you. It eased the panic and sinking feeling in your chest as you replied back.

 

(F/n)_(L/n): Thanks guys… but I think I know a way to solve this. (14:18)

 

You didn’t read their replies after that. Mr. Harris handed out work that needed to be done, which thankfully distracted you for the time being. But the thought of being forced to tell Keith how you felt made a twinge of anger rise. It should have been done on your own time, but now it seemed like Keith would hear about it sooner than expected in a way you never wanted.

But at least this way Keith will finally know how you’ve felt all these months. It was time.


End file.
